In addition to actively pursuing hobbies such as fly-fishing, hiking, road biking, and skiing, Val Bielecki enjoys kicking his feet up and burying his nose in a good book. Val Bielecki lists the late Saul Bellow as his favorite author, stating that he enjoys almost everything ever written by Bellow. Val Bielecki also cites an interest in the works of novelist John Steinbeck, whose highly descriptive Depression-era novels and short stories paint a vivid picture of a nation embroiled in a quagmire of economic and social turmoil.

Referencing the historical nonfiction work Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Val Bielecki expresses an appreciation for the writings of historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. In addition to authors Bellow, Steinbeck, and Goodwin, Val Bielecki also enjoys the literature of Vladimir Nabokov, Phillip Roth, John Irving, Graham Greene, and James Joyce. Some of Val Bielecki’s favorite books include James Jones’ From Here to Eternity, Thomas Wolfe’s Look Homeward, Angel, and Stephen Ambrose’s Undaunted Courage.

In a literary tradition true to his character, Val Bielecki’s favorite quote originates from the seminal Greek tragedian Aeschylus: “Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.”